James Sirius Potter was an arrogant, selfish, pig of a man who thought he was gods gift to the world and he expected Amelia, his soon to be ex wife to come to a family party and pretend to still be happily married to him. Why in the name of Merlin did she agree to this?

(Prequel and sequel are up)

Chapter 25: Healer Amelia

A/N: Wow this is the second from last chapter. I can't believe it's come so quickly! :-( The sequel is about halfway planned, I'm going to start writing it soon. The prequel shall be posted after this chapter is validated, so exciting stuff :-D This chapter is a happier chapter then the others so yay for happiness!

She was able to visit James’s room throughout her shift the next morning, but his condition very much stayed the same. She spent all of her break times in his room and most of the time she wasn’t working in there too. The Potters were there every visiting time that they could manage, they had told the rest of the family that there was no point in James having any other visitors.

It was on the third day that James finally woke up.

“Where am I?” James asked with a croak as he swallowed, grimacing with the pain of it all.

Amelia who had been on her day off was over the other side of the room, rearranging everything just so she would have something to do, turned around quickly at the sound of his voice, jumping wildly.

“You’re in the hospital,” Amelia told him as she moved quickly over to his bedside. He turned his head slightly at the sound of her voice so he could see her out of his un-swollen eye.

“Amelia?” He asked in surprise, Amelia felt elation fill her as she let out a small shaky laugh, her eyes watering slightly as she took hold of his hand.

“Yeah...” She sniffed as she sat down next to him. “Yeah it’s me.”

James just looked at her in stunned silence before glancing down at their hands entwined.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him gently, he looked back up at her face as he let out a small cough as though trying to clear his throat before answering.

“Like I’ve fallen off of the Astronomy tower and hit every brick on the way down,” he told her honestly. “I can feel my skin burning.” he raised the hand she wasn’t holding slowly to his face letting out a small howl at the pain he felt before he dropped his hand again slowly, it was the one with the cast on it.

“James don’t try to move,” Amelia told him letting go of his hand gently and standing up, checking his side quickly to make sure nothing was coming undone or bleeding. “You’ve been through a lot”

James frowned slightly before he remembered the Dragon and what happened. “Dragons are dangerous,” he stated. “Wish someone warned me before I tried to make a career out of being around them.”

Amelia felt herself smile, only James would be able to make a joke whilst in this much pain.

“What’s the weird feeling on my face?” he asked her as she checked his charts quickly to see when the last time he had any sort of potion was.

Amelia looked up at him and saw that he raised his other arm this time, only causing him to wince slightly as he placed his fingers on his face where a large amount of paste was placed. Amelia gently pulled his hand away with her free hand and wiped his fingers of the excess paste.

“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” She told him. “It’s a paste that’s helping to your skin to rebuild itself, you were burnt pretty badly. James how much pain are you in?” she asked him, placing the chart back down, seeing that he was due a pain relief potion soon.

“Quite a lot, did the Dragon stand on me or something?” he asked, looking down at his plastered arm.

“You’ve shattered a lot of bones James, you were blasted into some rocks,” Amelia told him as she measure out a vial of potion from the cupboard on the other side of the room and walked over to him. “It’s going to take a while before you’re fully healed.”

Thankfully James was already partially sitting up, propped up on his pillows. It would have caused him massive amounts of pain to move him to take the potion if the healers hadn’t thought ahead to move him gently whilst he was unconscious. James held out his good arm for the potion and Amelia handed it to him.

“I want you to drink it all up James,” she told him, James looked at it sceptically; it was a brown murky colour. “You’ll be feeling drowsy afterwards...”

“Don’t worry I won’t be flying any brooms today. ...Looks delicious,” he told her before he downed it in one gulp. “but tastes disgusting.” he said before handing it back to her, she placed it back on the side before walking over to him and checking out his wounds again, making sure none of the bandages needed changing or any of the paste needed redoing.

“Will I be getting sponge bath with this service?” he asked with a joke as Amelia looked at his face searching for anything that indicated infection setting in. It all seemed clean and well on its way to healing. She gave him a smile as she shook her head.

“I think I can persuade one of the receptionists to do that,” she told him with a laugh.

“That’s a tempting offer,” He said as Amelia leaned away from him and stood next to his bed, flicking her wand so the chart updated itself before pocketing her wand. “But who would like me looking like this?” he said with a laugh.

“I would,” she told him. He looked up at her and she met his eyes, they fell silent.

“James I’m sorry for what happened...”

James lifted his good arm and grabbed hold of Amelia’s hand.

“Don’t be...” he told her slightly drowsily, “You’ve got no reason to be ok? It’s not your fault.”

Amelia gave him a small smile before she let took a small breath. “I should get in touch with your family and tell them that you’ve woken up.”

“Can you just sit with me for a while?” he asked her, Amelia contemplated for a moment if she should before she nodded slowly and sat down, James let go of her arm and quickly found her hand. He squeezed it tightly as Amelia watched him from her seat. It wasn’t long before he fell asleep.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Amelia asked Ginny and Harry as they sat together in the waiting room, they had gone here so James didn’t get disturbed. Amelia had brought the Potter’s Tea and Coffee as they waited for James to wake back up.

“What is it Amelia?” Ginny asked taking a sip of her tea before holding it in her hands and looking at her.

“Well I was wondering if it was ok that I come over and help to look after James when he gets discharged from here. It’ll help him because I will always be on hand for him to help give him medication and change his dressings and pastes without having to bring him up here all of the time. And ...”

“That is a really great idea Amelia, thank you for the offer,” Harry stated interrupting her. “But I’m worried that you two will have another big argument like at the holiday and I don’t think James is in the right condition to have to deal with that.”

Amelia hung her head slightly at the mention of the argument. “I understand that Harry, but I do not want to go down that road again. Now that everything has happened I can’t have him leave my life again, I just can’t. And that means forgiving him, it’s going to take a while I know that and sometimes it’s not going to be easy but I want to try. I want to be there for him.”

Harry and Ginny gave each other a quick glance before they turned to look at Amelia again. “It would be such a great help if you could come home with us. He’s going to need your help now more then ever.”

Amelia nodded, “thank you.”

James was allowed to be discharged after a few more day, under any other circumstances the Head healer would never have allowed that to happen but as Amelia had told him that she would be by his side constantly to help assist him and care for him he agreed for it to happen, allowing Amelia to cut back on her shifts so she could work around looking after James and still coming to work. It was going to be a lot of work but Amelia was determined to do it.

“Are you ok?” Amelia asked after Harry and Albus placed James carefully onto his bed, Amelia placed some cushions behind him and Harry and Albus leant James against them gently.

“Yeah I’m fine, just hurts quite a bit.” He told her, even though he had been sleeping a lot he looked exhausted, all of the potions and healing was really taking it out of him.

“Mum said after dinner I could give you a sponge bath,” Albus said with a smile, James grimaced as did everyone else in the room.

“I’d rather stink thank you very much,” James told him not sure if Albus was joking or not. Albus let out a loud laugh.

“Would you like me to get you anything big bro?” Albus asked. “Bearing in mind that this will be the only time that I’d be at your beck and call.”

“Someone else to give me a sponge bath?” he asked with a smile.

“I don’t know what everyone’s obsession with sponge baths is,” Amelia said as she placed all of her medical supplies on the side that Harry was clearing for her. “You are able to have a shower you know.”

“Mariah gives me a sponge bath every night,” Albus said with a smug grin as he winked at his brother, Harry turned around looking disgusted.

“It’s a pity she doesn’t do such a good job you still stink to high heaven,” James stated laughing before wincing at the pain in his side.

“I’ll have you know that this is my sexy manly odour,” Albus said raising his arm above his head and sniffing his armpit. “The women just fall at my feet.”

“Probably knocked out from the B.O.” Harry stated, causing Albus to stalk from the room yelling about how he was going to rub his armpit on Harry’s pillow. Harry was quick to run from the room knowing that Albus was more than likely about to do it.

“Are you sure he wasn’t dropped on his head as a baby?” Amelia asked with a laugh as she turned to James.

“I think he was thrown.”

Amelia let out a chuckle.

“How are you feeling James?” Amelia asked walking over to him and feeling his forehead gently. “Do you feel like you’re burning up?”

“Aside from the obvious,” he laughed before adding. “No, I don’t feel like I’m burning up.”

“Good, good.” Amelia said with a smile as she looked around the room to make sure nothing else needed setting up. “Right your mum is just making you some food, will you be alright whilst I go home and get some of my things?”

“Are you going to be staying over?” James asked, Amelia could hear the hope in his voice and she had to stifle the smile threatening to escape onto her lips.

“How else would you be looked after James? I’m the only one who knows what they’re doing,” Amelia stated. “Even though your mother would do a wonderful job if I wasn’t here. I can stay at home if you would like me to?”

“No... Please stay. I’d feel a lot better if you were here,” James told her attempting to shrug and grimacing in pain. “What with you being trained and everything.”

“I knew you were only interested in me for my healing skills,” Amelia said with a small tut at James who smiled up at her.

“Well in my line of work it helps to know people in your line of work.”

“If you weren’t so hurt I would give you a slap,” Amelia said playfully. “Now don’t you get into trouble whilst I’m gone.”

“I’ll try not to” James laughed, watching her leave the room.

She didn’t spend long at her flat, eager to get back to James. But the little time she spent there she was able to see Adam. Who said that he knew that she was going to be staying with him, he knew it the moment Amelia had told Adam that James was hurt.

“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Adam asked her as he helped her fold some clothes and put them in a bag.

“I hope I am Adam,” she said honestly.

“You can always sleep in the bed you know,” James told Amelia later that night, she was quietly setting up a bed on the floor.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she told him.

“I can handle it,” James said, Amelia knew that it wouldn’t be wise in case she turned in her sleep and hit his broken bones. “I don’t want you sleeping on the floor.”

“James I’ll be fine I promise you,” Amelia told him as she sat down on the floor and looked up at him. “Did you need anything else before I turn the lights out?”

“No I’m fine,” James told her, Amelia waved her wand to turn the lights out before settling under the covers.

James shuffled slightly in the bed and Amelia glanced up to see that James had moved himself to near the edge of the bed. His hand dangled down and Amelia reached hers up to hold onto it.

“Thank you Amelia. You don’t know just how much I appreciate this.”

“You’re welcome,” she told him. Holding onto his hand tightly it wasn’t long before the two of them drifted off to sleep.

It wasn’t that difficult looking after James; he needed help getting from place to place but seemed able to do most things himself, Amelia still changed his bandages and pastes and even though it must have really hurt sometimes, he never made a big deal of it. Although he was tired most of the time either from exhaustion or the pain relief potion, it didn’t take long before James was back to his old self. And Amelia really loved spending all of the time with him, not having to hide a massive lie or having to make sure people believed that they were something they weren’t.

They had started to spend most nights talking until one of them fell asleep, although Amelia still insisted on sleeping on the floor as James wasn’t fully healed to have someone that close to him all the time.

“I can feed myself you know,” James told Amelia as she sat on the chair next to him in the dining room, her legs tucked up underneath her. She gave him a shrug as she dipped the spoon back into the ice cream and then brought the spoon and some of the ice cream up to his mouth. James rolled his eyes but still opened his mouth.

“I know you can, but I’ve had enough and this way I can see that you’re eating something.”

“Ice cream isn’t good for healing though,” James laughed, the swelling on his eye had only gone down slightly giving him the look that he was squinting at people, Albus took great pleasure in calling him a pirate or Popeye. James winced as his ribs protested to his laughter.

Amelia picked up more ice cream. “You’re not a healer so you don’t know.”

“Ok then ‘Healer Amelia’,” James stated. “Are there any health benefits to ice cream?”

Amelia gave him some more ice cream, “Well, no. But it’s making you feel better isn’t it?”

“Well yes but I think that’s because of the sprinkles.”

“The sprinkles were a nice surprise.”

Amelia smirked as she scooped the last bits of the ice cream up with the spoon. “Look we’re at the end now.”

“You’re making me feel like a child.” James told her rolling his eyes at her behaviour but there was a smile on his face.

“Open your mouth for the Quidditch player!” Amelia said waving the spoon around as though it were flying, James obediently opened his mouth and ate the ice cream.

“You two are so cute,” Lily said from the doorway causing Amelia to smile and James to pretend to fan his face with his injured hand in embarrassment at being caught.

“Oh Lily you’re making me blush.” He told her.

“Not like you can tell though with all that red on your face,” Lily laughed. “Tomato face!”

“At least I stand out from the crowd,” James said poking his tongue out at her. James’s face was healing slowly; he still needed to wear the paste but not as often. His face was still covered in blisters and was almost bright red but he didn’t let that get him down or his family’s insults, he seemed to really enjoy them. Amelia barely noticed the wounds anymore having spent as much time in his company as she could. Ginny and Harry marvelled at just how well James was healing and knew that most of that was down to Amelia’s healing abilities and the fact that James was so happy when she was around.

“So what are you after Lilykins?” James asked as Amelia placed the bowl down on the table.

“Adam’s in the front room talking to mum and dad.”

Amelia’s face broke out into a smile at her words and she was quick to stand up and leave the room, she came back a few moments later with Adam following her.

Adam came into the room and sat down next to James, giving him a small smile. James was slightly worried when he saw him, the last time they had seen each other Adam had yelled at him. Amelia grabbed hold of the bowl and spoon and told them that she was just going to go into the kitchen. James knew that Amelia was giving them some time to be alone.

“I came to visit you,” Adam told him as he leant forward so his arms rested on his knees.

“Amelia told me, you didn’t have to do that you know.”

“I was worried about you,” Adam said with a small shrug. Before he let out a small laugh.

“Trust you to get nearly killed by a dragon. You were always crazy about dangerous animals,” Adam shook his head at James who attempted to shrug.

“Tell me about it. You would have thought I would have learnt my lesson by now.” James replied. They both sat in silence for a few moments.

“I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done to her,” Adam stated, looking at his hands which were interlaced in front of him as he leant forward.

“Do you still hate me?” James asked, dreading the answer.

“Yes and no,” Adam replied truthfully. “I want us to go back to hanging around with each other. If Amelia can stand to be around you now then I’m going to try. I’ve actually missed you a lot you idiot. And seeing you like that in the hospital was horrible mate...”

James nodded slowly. “I didn’t have much fun either.”

They fell into a few more minutes of silence before James spoke again. “Do you think we could go back to how we were?”

“Overtime maybe. We’ll just have to wait and see.”

“Thank you for coming here Adam, I really appreciate it,” James told him. Adam gave him a small smile before clapping his hands together.

“Now enough of this mushy stuff James,” Adam stood up. “There’s a game of Quidditch on the wireless, how about we go listen to that?”

James nodded. “That sounds like a great idea.”

“I suppose you want me to carry you in your highness?” Adam said reaching down and grabbing hold of James’s good arm gently and pulling him up slowly. James winced and took a sharp intake of breath, before swearing loudly. Adam gave him an apologetic look whilst Amelia rushed into the room looking anxious.

“Oh James are you ok?” she asked as Adam held onto James to keep him steady and help steer him slowly out of the room.

“Yeah I’m fine just a bit of pain,” he told her as he stepped slowly, his leg aching and his side feeling like it had been punched by a troll.

“You need to stop babying him Amelia! You worry too much,” Adam told her off playfully, giving her a wink. “You’d think he was actually hurt or something.”

They walked into the front room together and Amelia helped Adam sit James down on the sofa, Amelia sitting down next to James instantly and Adam going over to the radio to tune in the Quidditch match. Ginny and Harry had left the room a while ago, they were going to visit Hermione and Ron so were getting ready.

Halfway through the Quidditch match Molly and Lucy arrived, bearing a bunch of flowers and a box of chocolates.

“Oh Flowers! For me?” James said brightly. “Please place them in the vase over there next to all of my other girlie presents. Please watch out for my jewellery box, I was sent that by a eligible suitor.”

Molly rolled her eyes as Adam laughed at James. “These are actually for Amelia you plum head.”

“Plum head?” James mouthed at Adam who shrugged before moving over for Lucy to sit down next to him.

“Oh thank you Molly that’s so nice of you,” Amelia said taking hold of the flowers and sniffing them. She stood up, giving both of the girls a hug.

“We did bring you chocolates though,” Lucy told James, reaching across Adam to pass James the chocolates but Adam was quick to snatch them from her hands and open them.

“Hey!” James and Lucy cried as Molly helped Amelia place the flowers into the empty vase on the mantelpiece.

“I have to test for poisons!” Adam cried as though it were obvious, grabbing a few chocolates and eating some. “We don’t want James more hurt do we? Oh no caramel! Definitely can’t be having that one.”

“Well thanks for the box.” James said looking longingly at the chocolate; Adam fed James a strawberry one.

“Boys!” Molly tutted as she took a seat on the floor by the table, as Amelia sat back down next to James.

“How are you feeling James? You look terrible.” Lucy asked, taking the chocolates off of Adam before he could eat anymore and placing them on the table. Adam looked slightly hurt as he stuffed what he could grab into his mouth; Lucy just rolled her eyes at him.

“Still in a lot of pain,” he replied, the girls let out an ‘awwww’ “But the dragon looks worse off!”

“I bet you could have taken him,” Adam said through his mouthful of chocolate.

“Oh definitely, but then I wouldn’t have Amelia looking after me.” James said looking fondly at Amelia who blushed.

“So how do you like Amelia looking after you?” Molly asked grabbing a hold of a biscuit from the plate on the table and nibbling on it.

“She’s been really good. She should be a healer,” James said smiling at Amelia who scoffed at him.

“I’ve been telling her that for years” Adam stated, having finally eaten the chocolate, with a shrug. “But she’s just wasting her life on other things.”

“You know I think I preferred it when you weren’t talking to each other,” Amelia stated. “you were both so much nicer to me!”

Both James and Adam laughed and Amelia gave them a fond smile, it was so good to see them talking to each other again.

“No in all seriousness, I don’t know how I would have got through this without her.” James said taking hold of Amelia’s hand and bringing it up to his mouth placing a kiss on it, causing Amelia to blush again and smile widely.

“She seems to have done a fantastic job, I heard you looked a lot worse,” Molly stated.

“Which was surprising,” Adam laughed, James rolled his eyes at his friend.

“You better be fully healed for my wedding in a month.” Molly told him seriously pointing at him with her half eaten biscuit. James let out a chuckle.

“Don’t worry I’ll try to be! I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m head bridesmaid after all.” He said grinning at her.

Molly tutted at James, “You’ve been spending too much time with Albus... And you better be there too Amelia.”

Amelia smiled politely, “I’ll try and be there Molly.”

“No try about it,” James told her. “You’ll be my date.”

Amelia grinned widely, “I suppose I have no choice in the matter.”

“Well that’s settled then!” Lucy said as she grabbed for a biscuit. “Let’s just hope that James’s face goes back to its normal colour by then or we’ll have to put some make up on him,” The others chuckled.

“Wouldn’t be the first time,” Molly laughed. They all fell into silence whilst Adam was looking at them incredulously.

“Do I not get an invite?” Adam asked hurt. Lucy rolled her eyes at him.

“You’re my date!” Lucy said smacking him lightly on the arm. “You know you are.”

They all began laughing again, before talking about Molly’s upcoming wedding. They seemed to spend the next few hours in animated chat with each other and it wasn’t long before they all had to go home so James could get ready for bed, he was due a pain relief potion and Amelia knew that he would fall asleep pretty soon after.

With a goodnight to Lily who was the only other person in the house, studying in her room, Amelia helped James walk slowly up the stairs and into the bedroom, helping him get changed. He left to go brush his teeth whilst Amelia got out his bandages and paste. James hobbled in to the room slowly a few minutes later and Amelia helped him sit down gently on the bed. She knelt in front of him and began changing the bandages on his torso, they were healing extremely well, and pretty soon he’ll be able to not have them on.

After she had done that she waved her wand at James’s face cleaning it, James was used to the feeling of this where at first it tickled as well as stung him, it was a strange combination.

She began rubbing the paste gently onto James’s face and James felt relief at the coolness of it against his still burning skin. James stared at her as she worked away, loving how she always had such a determined look of concentration on her face that he found incredibly cute and he couldn’t help but feel a rush of love for her.

Amelia finished rubbing the paste on his face and leant closer so she could see if everything was covered. Her eyes flickered up to James’s and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. She felt a tremble fill through her body as without thinking she leant forward and placed her lips gently on his. Before James could respond though she pulled away quickly and hung her head.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t think...” she began but she was cut off by James, who had reached his hand forward to her chin and tipped it up slightly so she could look back at him. Without saying a word he brought himself forward, even though it was obvious that it was causing him vast amounts of pain, and kissed her on the lips.